great advice for wedding planning

Guest Accommodations: What you Should Know

Although making arrangements for your out-of-town guests
may seem like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be. There are ways to relieve
your stress as well as make your guests coming from afar feel appreciated and welcome.

“You want to make it as easy as possible for your guests to attend your
wedding,” Regina Cameli, area director of catering for Kimpton Hotels, Boston,
said.

First and foremost, doing your homework on hotel accommodations and pricing is
one of the best ways to keep your out-of-town guests happy. By creating a
pricing list that also notes specifics about the lodging, from number of beds
to if it has a coffeemaker, can allow guests to choose where they would like to
stay and can help to control their budget.

Since guests and families are already purchasing airline tickets and taking
time off of work, it is always helpful for the couple to consider the range of
budgets that their guests are working within. I would always recommend that the
couple secures at least two blocks of rooms with varying price points so that
the guests can choose what works best for their budget, said Cameli.

“We typically offer wedding block discounts that can be significantly less than
our published pricing,” said Scott Hamilton, director of sales for La Playa
Resort in Naples, Fla.

Acting early, Hamilton said, helps the bride and groom to be, as well as the hotel
to be able to create and personalize accommodations for out-of-town wedding
guests. “Brides need to plan early when it comes to hotel arrangements so that
guests know what to expect,” he said. By choosing a hotel sooner rather than
later, guests can work around their budget restrictions as well as decide if
making the trip into a long weekend or mini-vacation is an option.

Karen Worzel, special events lodging at Hawley, Pa.-based Woodloch Pines explained that communication between the
bride and her guests, as well as the bride and the hotel, is key to making sure
guests are comfortable.

“I send information with questions and answers to my bride so that she knows
what is included, and what activities are open to guests. Most brides now are
using websites and are communicating the details to those staying, so when
guests call, there are very few questions,” she said.

At Woodloch, Worzel said that they like to take the stress off the bride when
planning rooming situations and that most guests call with housemates in mind
and we try making sure that everyone is where they feel the most comfortable.

“Sometimes the bride likes to be involved so that she can seat people with who
they are staying with to keep the groups together, but most times, we handle
the booking,” she said. By keeping the lines of communication open, Worzel
said, both the bride and the guests know what to expect when staying on the
grounds.

Hamilton explained that hotels like La Playa try to alleviate the stress of guest
accommodations, but the bride needs to be organized and straightforward with
the people she works with at the venue.

“I would recommend using a professional wedding planner
to help.” Hamilton said. “But otherwise, a bride needs to be organized, needs
to set a budget for hotel accommodations and stick to it and she can’t be
afraid to ask questions,” he added. When the bride is calm, her guests will be
as well.

the welcome basket

Out-of-town guests travel by plane, train or car to be
there for your special day, so treating them to a little something extra is a
sweet treat. That’s where welcome baskets come in.
You can leave them at the front desk for distribution as your guests check in,
or you can request that the baskets be placed in guest rooms for a nice
surprise. A personalized card from the bride and groom make for an
extra-special touch and let the guests know how much you appreciate them being
there for your special day.

“The welcome basket or bag is a really considerate
gesture. It welcomes your guests and let’s your guests know that you are very
appreciative that they have travelled from afar to be with you on your big
day,” said Cameli.

“Things that reflect the local area are
always appreciated, including snacks and bottled water which are essential for
hotel guests. One bride made a mixed CD for all of her guests to take home
music that was played at the wedding including the dance sets,”Cameli said.

Some other things to think about adding when
putting together a welcome package:

• Menus to local restaurants

• Directions to the nearest pharmacy

• Activity books and crayons for little ones

• Aspirin and vitamin-C packets

• A fresh direction card to and from the ceremony
and/or reception location

• A mixed CD of music that will be played at
the wedding – it will help your guests get in the partying mood and will make a nice
keepsake after.

In addition to a standard wedding basket, you can also play to the different tastes
of your guests. If you have a wine lover, you can create a basket of wine and include
a selection cheeses and crackers – so that your guests can kick back and relax
with their favorite glass.

For those chocolate lovers, an assortment of gourmet chocolate could make your
guests feel right at home. This gives each basket a personal touch and the
guests will feel that they are extra important to you during this busy time. “It
gives the guests a little something that they can enjoy while they are away from
the comfort of their own homes,” said Cameli.

As the wedding day draws closer, there will
be other things to think about. By being organized and getting your accommodations
done early, you will be setting the scene for less stress and happy guests. By
making sure, that your guests have a variety of services and price points to
choose from when making reservations for your wedding and by having a good idea
of what to put in a welcome basket, there will be one less thing you will need
to think about as your big day approaches.

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Although making arrangements for your out-of-town guests
may seem like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be. There are ways to relieve
your stress as well as make your guests coming from afar feel appreciated and welcome.

“You want to make it as easy as possible for your guests to attend your
wedding,” Regina Cameli, area director of catering for Kimpton Hotels, Boston,
said.

First and foremost, doing your homework on hotel accommodations and pricing is
one of the best ways to keep your out-of-town guests happy. By creating a
pricing list that also notes specifics about the lodging, from number of beds
to if it has a coffeemaker, can allow guests to choose where they would like to
stay and can help to control their budget.

Since guests and families are already purchasing airline tickets and taking
time off of work, it is always helpful for the couple to consider the range of
budgets that their guests are working within. I would always recommend that the
couple secures at least two blocks of rooms with varying price points so that
the guests can choose what works best for their budget, said Cameli.

“We typically offer wedding block discounts that can be significantly less than
our published pricing,” said Scott Hamilton, director of sales for La Playa
Resort in Naples, Fla.

Acting early, Hamilton said, helps the bride and groom to be, as well as the hotel
to be able to create and personalize accommodations for out-of-town wedding
guests. “Brides need to plan early when it comes to hotel arrangements so that
guests know what to expect,” he said. By choosing a hotel sooner rather than
later, guests can work around their budget restrictions as well as decide if
making the trip into a long weekend or mini-vacation is an option.

Karen Worzel, special events lodging coordinator at Hawley, Pa.-based Woodloch Pines explained that communication between the
bride and her guests, as well as the bride and the hotel, is key to making sure
guests are comfortable.

“I send information with questions and answers to my bride so that she knows
what is included, and what activities are open to guests. Most brides now are
using websites and are communicating the details to those staying, so when
guests call, there are very few questions,” she said.

At Woodloch, Worzel said that they like to take the stress off the bride when
planning rooming situations and that most guests call with housemates in mind
and we try making sure that everyone is where they feel the most comfortable.

“Sometimes the bride likes to be involved so that she can seat people with who
they are staying with to keep the groups together, but most times, we handle
the booking,” she said. By keeping the lines of communication open, Worzel
said, both the bride and the guests know what to expect when staying on the
grounds.

Hamilton explained that hotels like La Playa try to alleviate the stress of guest
accommodations, but the bride needs to be organized and straightforward with
the people she works with at the venue.

“I would recommend using a professional wedding planner
to help.” Hamilton said. “But otherwise, a bride needs to be organized, needs
to set a budget for hotel accommodations and stick to it and she can’t be
afraid to ask questions,” he added. When the bride is calm, her guests will be
as well.

the welcome basket

Out-of-town guests travel by plane, train or car to be
there for your special day, so treating them to a little something extra is a
sweet treat. That’s where welcome baskets come in.
You can leave them at the front desk for distribution as your guests check in,
or you can request that the baskets be placed in guest rooms for a nice
surprise. A personalized card from the bride and groom make for an
extra-special touch and let the guests know how much you appreciate them being
there for your special day.

“The welcome basket or bag is a really considerate
gesture. It welcomes your guests and let’s your guests know that you are very
appreciative that they have travelled from afar to be with you on your big
day,” said Cameli.

“Things that reflect the local area are
always appreciated, including snacks and bottled water which are essential for
hotel guests. One bride made a mixed CD for all of her guests to take home
music that was played at the wedding including the dance sets,”Cameli said.

Some other things to think about adding when
putting together a welcome package:

• Menus to local restaurants

• Directions to the nearest pharmacy

• Activity books and crayons for little ones

• Aspirin and vitamin-C packets

• A fresh direction card to and from the ceremony
and/or reception location

• A mixed CD of music that will be played at
the wedding – it will help your guests get in the partying mood and will make a nice
keepsake after.

In addition to a standard wedding basket, you can also play to the different tastes
of your guests. If you have a wine lover, you can create a basket of wine and include
a selection cheeses and crackers – so that your guests can kick back and relax
with their favorite glass.

For those chocolate lovers, an assortment of gourmet chocolate could make your
guests feel right at home. This gives each basket a personal touch and the
guests will feel that they are extra important to you during this busy time. “It
gives the guests a little something that they can enjoy while they are away from
the comfort of their own homes,” said Cameli.

As the wedding day draws closer, there will
be other things to think about. By being organized and getting your accommodations
done early, you will be setting the scene for less stress and happy guests. By
making sure, that your guests have a variety of services and price points to
choose from when making reservations for your wedding and by having a good idea
of what to put in a welcome basket, there will be one less thing you will need
to think about as your big day approaches.